Days after Rolan "Kerwin" Espinosa filed his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) as mayoralty aspirant in Albuera town, Province of Leyte, he faced members of the media to tell his side to the story on how he was implicated with the illegal drugs trade. 

Espinosa said that once he wins, he will focus tightly on the fight against the proliferation of illegal drugs. 

He faced drug cases during the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte which made him a controversial personality. In June 2023, the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 65 acquitted him. The court favored Espinosa’s petition to junk the case on drug trading for lack of evidence. The Baybay City, Leyte Trial Court also acquitted Espinosa from another drug case.

He insisted that he was falsely accused of involvement in the illegal drugs trade. He said that he was forced to admit to being a drug lord in Eastern and Central Visayas for fear of his security and of his family’s. 

“Kung kayo ang nasa kalagayan ko noong panahong iyon at kayo ang nasa Senado, siguro aaminin ninyo para lang maligtas ang pamilya mo. At ikaw, specially ako, iligtas ko sarili ko dahil may mga maliit pa akong anak, sa panahon na yun patayan na doon, patayan na dito, patayan sa harap at hindi na mabilang ang pinapatay ng administrasyon,” Espinosa said. 

He went emotional at the mention of the shooting-to-death of his father, former Albuera mayor Rolando Espinosa, Sr. 

His father died in an alleged shootout by the members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) inside his cell at a sub-provincial jail in Baybay City, Leyte on November 5, 2016. 

Espinosa said he is incensed at Senator Ronald de la Rosa who implicated him in the operation of illegal drugs in the Visayas. 

“Si Senator Bato [Ronald] talaga ang nag-pressure sa akin, tinakot ako. Isipin ninyo sa panahon na nagtestimonya ako duon sa Senate, patay na ang papa ko sa loob ng kulungan, pinatay na parang hayop na walang kalaban-laban,” Espinosa added. 

In his search for justice, he called on President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and the Congress to open an investigation on the slay of his father. 

“Kung tutulongan ako ng Congress, o sinuman ang tumulong sa akin para buhayin muli ang kaso na ‘yun, para madaan sa tamang procedure sa korte, sana matulungan nila ako. At willing ako mag-cooperate para mapatunayan ang EJK (extrajudicial killing),” Espinosa added.

Further, Espinosa said he will spearhead a zero-vote campaign for Senator Bato de la Rosa in the 2025 midterm elections.